Soul Food to the rescue on Red Cross

Monday

Apr 1, 2013 at 6:11 PM

Monisha Robinson's experience in the kitchen includes decades of home cooking,

By Paul StephenPaul.Stephen@StarNewsOnline.com

Soul food aficionados won't have to wait much longer to sip the Kool-Aid in Wilmington's Northside. And don't groan, I'm pulling out that tired metaphor for a reason: In addition to the homemade lemonade and sweet tea, the third giant pitcher on the counter of Monisha Robinson's new restaurant, Sugah Mamaz, will feature a daily changing flavor of Kool-Aid prepared each morning.

Robinson says she'll be specializing in timeless classics like fried chicken and pork chops, mac & cheese, collards and corn bread. And the menu promises to be a bargain, with the priciest item a beef stew for $7.

Robinson's experience in the kitchen includes decades of home cooking, but she's no stranger in the professional environment either, most recently at the shuttered Green's Grill (now Shuckin' Shack) downtown. Although calling Wilmington home for the past 27 years, she hails from a family of pitmasters in Lake City, South Carolina, and hopes to bring a bit of that heritage to town. “I'm working on trying to buy some whole hogs, I want to sell fresh barbecue,” she said Monday.

Formerly home to the Caribbean eatery Montego Bay, Robinson is giving the space at 604 Red Cross St. a substantial makeover with copious quantities of red paint and shiny metal, lending a vintage lunch-counter vibe to the room. Since hanging a sign outside, she's been inundated with hungry area residents passing by, hoping to be the first to claim one of the 32 seats in her cozy new place.

Robinson plans to be open by April 10 in time for Azalea Festival traffic. She'll be serving lunch and dinner Wed-Sun, and hopes to add breakfast as well as wine and beer permits soon.